Cleaning implement

ABSTRACT

A cleaning device with a sufficiently low profile to enable cleaning under appliances. The cleaning device generally includes an elongate body, a handle, and a fabric member surrounding the body. The body has oppositely-disposed first and second ends. The handle is adjacent the second end of the body and projects upward from an upper surface of the body. The fabric member preferably comprises oppositely-disposed first and second pockets, an intermediate portion connecting the first and second pockets, and an opening between the first and second pockets. The first and second pockets receive the first and second ends, respectively, of the body. The handle of the body projects out of the opening in the fabric member.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/206,832, filed May 24, 2000.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention generally relates to equipment and toolsfor cleaning under and around appliances.

[0004] Various cleaning equipment and tools with low profiles have beensuggested for cleaning in locations with limited clearance, such asunder and around appliances. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,755,881,2,062,065, 2,262,888 and 5,953,784 disclose flat, fabric-covered toolsfor cleaning surfaces within constricted spaces. Each of these tools hasa particular configuration or construction for promoting itseffectiveness. However, these prior art tools also share the drawback ofbeing relatively complicated, which leads to higher manufacturing costs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention provides a cleaning device with asufficiently low profile to enable cleaning under appliances and otherrestricted spaces. The cleaning device generally includes an elongatebody, a handle, and a fabric member surrounding the body. The body hasoppositely-disposed first and second ends, a length as measured betweenthe first and second ends, upper and lower surfaces between the firstand second ends, and a cross-section transverse to the length, thecross-section being defined by a width and a thickness of the body. Thewidth of the body is less than its length, while the thickness of thebody is transverse to and less than the width. The upper and lowersurfaces of the body are delimited by the width and length of the body.The handle is adjacent the second end of the body and projects upwardfrom the upper surface of the body, while the lower surface of the bodyis substantially continuous and flat. Finally, the fabric membercomprises at least a first pocket that receives the first end of thebody, and the handle of the body projects out of an opening in thefabric member. In a preferred embodiment, the fabric member furthercomprises a second pocket oppositely disposed from the first pocket, andan intermediate portion connecting the first and second pockets. Thesecond end of the body is received in the second pocket, and the openingis between the first and second pockets, The handle of the body againprojects out of the opening in the fabric member.

[0006] From the above, one can appreciate that the cleaning device ofthis invention can have a very low profile (thickness) at its first endto enable cleaning confined spaces. For example, the cleaning device canhave a thickness of not greater than 20 millimeters at the first end ofthe body when received in the first pocket of the fabric member. Thehandle is located entirely on one side (the upper surface) of the body,so that the cleaning device can be held and maneuvered while the devicelies with its lower surface flat on the floor or other surface, therebymaking full benefit of the low profile of the device. Furthermore, thebody and fabric member of the present invention have uncomplicatedconstructions, such that the cleaning device also has an uncomplicatedconstruction and can be manufactured at relatively low cost. Itsuncomplicated construction also enables the cleaning device to bereadily assembled and disassembled, allowing the fabric member to beremoved and laundered whenever desired.

[0007] Other objects and advantages of this invention will be betterappreciated from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning tool in accordance witha preferred embodiment of this invention.

[0009]FIG. 2 is an end view of the cleaning tool of FIG. 1.

[0010]FIG. 3 is a side view of the cleaning tool of FIG. 1.

[0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cleaning tool in accordance witha second embodiment of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention is a cleaning tool specifically adapted toclean confined spaces, and particularly under appliances that haveminimal clearance above the floor, such as refrigerators, stoves, dryersand washers. The tool is preferably capable of being inserted beneath anappliance that has as little as about 20 mm floor clearance.

[0013] As shown in th FIGS. 1 through 3, a tool 10 configured inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention generally has aflat, elongate shape, e.g., about one meter in length. The tool 10 has abody member 12 that is preferably formed of a rigid plastic. The bodymember 12 has oppositely-disposed first and second ends 20 and 22, andoppositely-disposed upper and lower surfaces 24 and 32 that aredelimited by the width and length of the body member 12. The body member12 further has a cross-section transverse to its length and defined bythe width and thickness of the body member 12. The cross-section can be,for example, about 3 mm thick and about 20 mm wide, yielding arelatively thin slat with wider upper and lower surfaces 24 and 32. Thebody member 12 preferably has ribs 34 that extend longitudinally on itslower surface 32 between its first and second ends 20 and 22 to increasethe rigidity of the cleaning tool 10.

[0014] A handle 14 is provided adjacent the second end 22 of the bodymember 12 on only its upper surface 24 to permit a user to grasp thehandle 14 and maneuver the tool 10 when the lower surface 32 of the tool10 is flat against a surface, such as the floor beneath an appliance. Assuch, the lower surface 32 of the tool 10 is continuous and flat, andthe handle 14 is located on the body member 12 to take full benefit ofthe low profile of the tool 10. The handle 14 can be formed as anintegral part of the body member 12, or formed separately and attached.As seen from FIG. 3, the handle 14 can have various shapes, includingthe arcuate, rectangular and triangular shapes shown in phantom.

[0015] A sleeve 16 is shown as surrounding and covering essentially allof the body member 12 except for a portion of the upper surface 24 abovewhich the handle 14 projects. A suitable material for the sleeve 16 is afabric, particularly terrycloth, though other materials could be used.The sleeve 16 has oppositely-disposed first and second pockets 26 and28, an intermediate portion 30 connecting the first and second pockets26 and 28, and an opening 18 between the first and second pockets 26 and28. The first pocket 26 is larger than the second pocket 28 and receivesthe first end 20 of the body member 12, while the second end 28 of thebody member 12 is received in the second pocket 28 of the sleeve 16. Thehandle 14 of the body member 12 projects out through the opening 18 inthe sleeve 16. With the sleeve 16 in place, the tool 10 preferably has athickness of about 20 mm or less and a width of about 30 to 40 mm.

[0016] The sleeve 16 is preferably sized to have a length substantiallyequal to that of the body member 12. In order to install the sleeve 16on the body member 12, the sleeve 16 has an elastic portion 36 thatenables the sleeve 16 to be stretched to insert the ends 20 and 22 ofthe body member 12 in the pockets 26 and 28, respectively, of the sleeve16. As shown in the Figures, the elastic portion 36 preferably definesat least a portion and potentially all of the second pocket 28 of thesleeve 16.

[0017] In use, the first end 20 of the body member 12 is slid into thefirst pocket 26 of the sleeve 16 so that the handle 16 projects out ofthe opening 18 in the sleeve 16. The elastic portion 36 of the sleeve 16is then stretched to insert the second end 22 of the body member 12 intothe second pocket 28 of the sleeve 16. The tool 10 is then ready to beslid beneath an appliance to collect dust and other debris. The rigidityof the body member 12 enables the user to apply a significant amount offorce with the end of the tool 10 to remove debris far beneath theappliance. Once the cleaning task is completed, the sleeve 16 can beremoved and washed, or replaced with a new sleeve 16.

[0018]FIG. 4 represents a tool 110 in accordance with a secondembodiment of the invention, essentially identical in all respects tothe tool 10 of FIGS. 1 through 3 except that the body member 112 of thetool 110 has a narrowed width portion 113 adjacent the handle 114 on theside of the first end 120 of the body member 112, and the sleeve 116 hasan opening 118 with an elastic portion 136 that grips the narrowed widthportion 113 of the body member 112.

[0019] While the invention has been described in terms of a specificembodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by oneskilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to belimited only by the following claims.

claims:
 1. A cleaning device comprising: an elongate body havingoppositely-disposed first and second ends, a length as measured betweenthe first and second ends, an upper surface between the first and secondends, and a cross-section transverse to the length, the cross-sectionbeing defined by a width and a thickness of the body, the width beingtransverse to the length and less than the length, the thickness beingtransverse to the width and less than the width, the upper surface beingdelimited by the width and length of the body; a handle adjacent thesecond end of the body and projecting upward from the upper surface ofthe body so as to be entirely located on one side of the body; and afabric member comprising a first pocket and an opening, the first end ofthe body being received in the first pocket and the handle projectingout of the opening in the fabric member.
 2. A cleaning device accordingto claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device has a thickness of not greaterthan 20 millimeters at the first end of the body when received in thefirst pocket of the fabric member.
 3. A cleaning device according toclaim 1 , wherein the length of the body is about one meter and thewidth of the body is about 30 to about 40 millimeters.
 4. A cleaningdevice according to claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises ribsextending longitudinally between the first and second ends thereof.
 5. Acleaning device according to claim 1 , wherein body further has a lowersurface between the first and second ends and delimited by the width andlength of the body, the lower surface being continuous and flat alongthe entire length of the body.
 6. A cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the fabric member further comprises a second pocket oppositelydisposed from the first pocket and an intermediate portion connectingthe first and second pockets, the opening being between the first andsecond pockets, the first pocket being larger than the second pocket,the second end of the body being received in the second pocket.
 7. Acleaning device according to claim 6 , wherein the fabric member has alength substantially equal to the body, the fabric member furthercomprising an elastic portion that enables the fabric member to bestretched to insert the first and second ends of the body in the firstand second pockets, respectively, of the fabric member.
 8. A cleaningdevice according to claim 7 , wherein the second pocket of the fabricmember comprises the elastic portion.
 9. A cleaning device according toclaim 1 , wherein the fabric member terminates at the opening, theopening surrounds a narrowed-width portion of the body adjacent thehandle, and the fabric member further comprises an elastic portion atthe opening that enables the fabric member to grip the narrowed-widthportion of the body.
 10. A cleaning device comprising: an elongate bodyhaving oppositely-disposed first and second ends, a length as measuredbetween the first and second ends, an upper surface between the firstand second ends, and a cross-section transverse to the length, thecross-section being defined by a width and a thickness of the body, thewidth being transverse to the length and less than the length, thethickness being transverse to the width and less than the width, theupper surface being delimited by the width and length of the body; ahandle adjacent but spaced apart from the second end of the body andprojecting upward from the upper surface of the body so as to beentirely located on one side of the body; and a fabric member having alength substantially equal to the length of the body, the fabric membercomprising a first pocket, an oppositely-disposed second pocket havingan elastic portion, an intermediate portion connecting the first andsecond pockets, and an opening between the first and second pockets, thefirst pocket being larger than the second pocket, the first end of thebody being received in the first pocket and the second end of the bodybeing received in the second pocket, the handle of the body projectingout of the opening in the fabric member; wherein the cleaning device hasa thickness of not greater than 20 millimeters at the first end of thebody when received in the first pocket of the fabric member, and theelastic portion enables the fabric member to be stretched to insert thesecond end of the body in the second pocket of the fabric member whenthe first end of the body is already received in the first pocket of thefabric member.
 11. A cleaning device according to claim 10 , wherein thelength of the body is about one meter and the width of the body is about30 to about 40 millimeters.
 12. A cleaning device according to claim 10, wherein the body further comprises ribs extending longitudinallybetween the first and second ends thereof.
 13. A cleaning deviceaccording to claim 10 , wherein the fabric member covers all of the bodyexcept for a portion of the upper surface above which the handleprojects.